Farmers’ strike ends, veggie prices in Mumbai suburb’s markets to return to normal by Monday
Mumbai city news: Sellers at retail markets, however, said they were still facing a shortage of vegetables
With protesting farmers in Mumbai calling off their strike early on Saturday, the supply of vegetables has picked up at Navi Mumbai’s APMC market. Traders said the market would stay shut on Sunday and reopen on Monday. They expect prices and supply to return to normal by then.
The statewide strike, which started on June 1, had led to a sharp hike in vegetables prices in the wholesale and retail markets owing to a severe shortage. “While only 146 vegetable-bearing trucks arrived at the market on Friday, as many as 220 arrived today. This has eased the situation a bit,” said Kailash Tajane, president of the vegetable wholesalers association.
He said he first heard that the strike had been called off at 4.30 am today. “Our supply has increased and prices have come down,” he added.
“We are expecting more trucks to arrive on Monday. This will bring supply up to our earlier standard and so prices will reduce,” he said.
Sellers at retail markets, however, said they were still facing a shortage of vegetables. “There is still shortage but the price has not risen today. There is not much demand. Customers are only buying small quantities. They prefer pulses to vegetables,” said Harmesh Gupta, a retailer.
“Since the strike has been called off, retail market prices will come down. Aware customers will resume bargaining,” he said.